Method of and furnace for securing products of reaction by electric discharges in gases.



. G. P. R. VON KOCH. METHOD 0? AND FURNACE FOR SECURING PRODUCTS QFHBEAGTION BY ELECTRIC HDISGHARGES m GASES. 'APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1912.

1,085,440 Patented Jan.27, 1914.

W) '1 x a :1 6 5 II NW lfij/tnesses. lnven tar-z UNITED STATES PAa EN orurcn.

cam. FABIAN-RIGHERT vou'KOCH, or s'rocKHoLM, SWEDEN.

METHOD OF'AND URn AcEYroR .sEbunme rnonuc'rs or REACTION BY ELECTRIC DISCHARGES IN GASES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 27 1914. Application fiIed'September 11, 1912. Serial No.'7l9,702. i

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, CARL FABL-XN RICHERT} voN Koornshbject oithe King of Sweden,

and resident of Stockholm, Sweden, have in-,

vented new and useful Improvements in Methods ofand Furnaces for Securing Products of Re action by Electric Discharges in- Gases, of which the following is a specification', reference being had to the drawing'accompanying and forming a part hereof.

In using the electric arc flame for producing compounds of oxygen and nitrogen, or other chemical compounds being at high temperatures liable to quickly decompose, it

is of importance to rapidly cool ,thehighly heated products of reaction formed in and around the arc flame. In the methods of this kind hitherto technically used, such a cooling is usually dictated by supplying-a great surplus of gas to the arc flame so as to cause a comparatively strong cooling to;take

- place, whereby the reduced concentration effected by the great surplus of gas also contributes to prevent the (decomposition.

The object of this invention is to gain an increased'output ofproducts of reactlon and a higher concentration'of the said products than could hitherto beobtai-ned.

. sectional area is. considerabl .caused to take place through a' passage of a The invention consists, chiefly, in this that the discharge is caused to take place. through a gas passage opening into a cooler, sa d passage being so narrow that the gases passing through the same will issue with a great speed into the cooler. Preferablygthe' said passage ismade so narrowthat its crosssmallerl than that of the arcfiame in the wider art of the furnace. Thus, if the diameter 6 the flame in th wider part of the furnace is, for instance, '2 inches, the discharge is suitably width ofgor g ofan inch, or still less; By

', taking certain precautions hereinafter set forth the Strong cfia'm'e may be caused to extend through such'anarrow passage without the walls aroundthe same being melted or injured, as would be expected.

structionand combination, of partshereinafter set forth.

In the drawingQ I 'have shown diagrani- 'matically in what manner my improved ber l between two electrodes 2 and 3 oneof which, viz. 3, is surrounded by water and forms a cooler. The gas to be treated is supplied through pipes or tubes 4 and passes through the chamber 1, provided at its upper end avlth a narrow to the chamber 1, or the chamber 3, respectively, need only be used in comparatively small quantities, so that the products of reaction obtained .in the cool ng chamber 3 through the discharges in the gas-will have a high concentration. The products of reaction coming from the cooler may be utilized by. absorption or otherwise.

, The cross sec tional area of the electric arc, flame is made narrower 1n the-passage The are will be comparatively short in relat on to electromotive force and current strength,- and when it has passed the narrow opening it usually has the appearance of a broom or fan. In order to keep the discharge constant I. suitably use the arrangement described in my prior application for Patent No. 615,7 0O, filed the 20th March, 1 911.

.Thecooling in the chamber 3-may be efiected by gas (such [as air), water, cooling suriacesora combination of two or more of such means. Such a coollng by means of gas is suitably eifected by supplying to the cooling chamber a surplus ofacerta'ln gas necessary for the reaction. Thus, for instance, an oxidizing the nitrogen ofthe air .it-is advantageous to. supply a gas rich in oxygen to the cooling chamber.

The narrow'passage 7 may be formed as a conical pipe,- as an opening in a disk or plate covering the furnace chamber, or as a short nozzle throughwhich the gases pass into the cooler. The walls around the said passage The invention further compr ses. the conare preferably made of refractory material. The wider chamber of the furnace, through which the gases pass before they enter into the narrow part, need only have the length necessary for heating the gases to a sufficiently high temperature.- In most cases a comparatively short-length will sufiice Theopening'need not be circular in shape passage 5, and through v but it desired it ma be oblon in crosssection, or it may have any other suitable shape. It has proved to be advantageous at first to make the opening somewhat too narrow and of a highly refractory or well cooled material. The are will then burn or melt the edge or inner Wall to a small extent so that the size and shape of the opening are influenced by the arc.

In using cooler gases (such as air or steam) in the cooling chamber, if desired incombination with other cooling means, it has proved to be advantageous to give the said gas a tangential direction, by which the gases will obtain a rotary or whirling movement'. The narrow opening may be so, ar-

ranged in relation to the cooling chamber said gases, or favorably influence the reac- .tions.

I claim:

1. The method of securing products of reaction in gases, which consists in causing gases to pass from a heating chamber into a cooler through so narrowa passage that I the gases will issuefwith a great speed into the cooler, and causing electric discharges to take place through the said opening.

2. The method of treating gases, vhich consists in causing gases to pass from a heating chamber into a cooler through so narrow a. passage that the gases will issue with a great speed into the cooler, causing electricdischarges to take place'through the said opening into the cooler, and supplying to the gases issuing into the cooler a gas Whichenters into reaction with the former. 3. The method of treating gases, which consists in creating an arc flame extending from a heating chamber into a cooler, and causing gases to pass from the said heating chamber into the cooler through an opening Whose cross-sectional area is considerably smaller than that of the part of the arc flame Within the heating chamber.

4. The' method of treating gases, which consists in creating an arc flame extending from a heating chamber into a cooler through a narrow opening. the size-ot'which is somewhat increased bythe flame itself, and supplying gases from the said heating chamber through the said opening into the cooler. I

5. The method of treating gases, which consists iii-creating an arc flame extending from a heating chamber through a narrow opening into a cooler, supplying gases from the said heating chamber through the said opening into the cooler, and supplying to the gases issuing into the cooler a cooler gas having a whirling movement.

6. The method of treating gases, which consists in creating an arc flame extendingtrom a heating chamberthrough av narrow opening into a cooler, supplying gases from the said heating chamber through the said .opening into the cooler, and supplying to the gases issuing into the cooler a cooler gas containing particles acting to increase the output.

7. In a furnace for treating gases, the combination of a heating chamber having a supply opening and a small outlet opening, a second chamber communicating through the said outlet opening with the said heating chamber, and means for creating an electric arc iiame extending from Within the heating chamber through the said opening into the second chamber.

8. In a furnace for treating gases. the

combination of a heating chamber having a supply opening and a small outlet opening, a second chamber communicating through the said outlet opening with the said heating chamber, means for creating an electric arc flame extending from within the heating chamber through the said opening into the second chamber, and means for cooling the products therein.

9. In a furnace .for treating gases. the combination of ,a heating chamber having a supply opening and a smalloutlet opening. a cooling chamber communicating through the said opening with the heating chamber, an electrode in the said heating chamber. a second electrode in the cooling chamber, means for creating an electric discharge between thesaid electrodes, and means for cooling the electrode in the said chamber.

CARL FA BIAN RTCHERT YOK KOCH.

\Vitnesses:

FRED. honosan, v KARL RUNCSKOG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor-five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Waahington, D. G. 

